My River Home

A Journey from the Gulf War to the Gulf of Mexico

A classic American story of a young man’s return from war and his search for peace-while rafting the entire length of the Mississippi River

During the course of the war in Iraq, many veterans have become increasingly disillusioned, and increasingly vocal. Many began seeing the war as damaging for the country, and especially for the men and women fighting overseas. In My River Home, Marcus Eriksen, a veteran of the Gulf War, charts his personal shift from proud Marine to self-destructive veteran to engaged activist protesting the injustices of the Iraq War with Veterans for Peace. Eriksen made sense of this transition only after a fascinating adventure traveling through the heart of America, down the entire length of the great Mississippi River on a homemade raft.

“Like Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Eriksen takes us on an extraordinary journey; home from war, chaos, and sorrow, down the mighty Mississippi. . . . A beautiful story of healing, hope, faith, and renewal. Eriksen searches to find meaning in all that has been lost and all that has been wasted.” —Ron Kovic, author of Born on the Fourth of July

“His is a complex, subtle portrait of what makes the warrior spirit-whether fighting for his country abroad or fighting for peace at home . . . Marcus Eriksen, a hero indeed, speaks for soldiers everywhere when he writes of the need for peace.” —Susan Larson, New Orleans Times-Picayune

“A Homeric epic that starts at the top of the United States, plummets to the depths of the Gulf War, and probes the soul of a man.” —John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

“Marcus Eriksen is a natural writer. His memoir cuts to the core of the great dilemma of what it means to be an American man.” —Gerald Nicosia, author of Home to War

“All politicians considering war as a policy tool—especially those with no personal military experience—should read this book, and take special note of Marcus Eriksen’s epiphany as he wandered with his brother amongst Iraqi corpses during the Gulf War. ‘I’m glad it wasn’t us,’ says his brother. Eriksen, with the added perspective of the current Iraq War, finds devastating precision for his response: ‘But it was.’ The futility and tragedy of war is made agonizingly clear by the inspirational journeys recounted with searing elegance in My River Home.” —Peter Laufer, author of Mission Rejected: U. S. Soldiers Say No to Iraq

“Eriksen is honest and reflective about the way his character has been formed . . . a complex, subtle portrait of what makes the warrior spirit—whether fighting for his country abroad or fighting for peace at home. So when he talks about what we owe our servicemen—our time and attention, first of all—it has the ring of conviction and wisdom . . . Marcus Eriksen, a hero indeed, speaks for soldiers everywhere when he writes of the need for peace.” —Times-Picayune (New Orleans)